In some applications, e.g. in a fueling system of an engine, or a DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) delivery system of a SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) apparatus, fluid level needs to be maintained above a certain level, and fluid quality issues, such as impure fluid or diluted fluid, need to be detected for avoiding deterioration in system performance and damages to the system. In these applications, normally a fluid level sensor and a fluid quality sensor are used for measuring fluid level and monitoring fluid quality.
Fluid level sensors can be either mechanical fluid level sensors or non-contact sensors. A commonly used mechanical fluid level sensor is a reed switch sensor which has magnetic reed switches activated by a force created with a magnetic float, while an ultrasound fluid level sensor is a non-contact sensor measuring fluid level using an elapsed time starting from the transmission of an ultrasonic sound wave to the reception of an echo.
A variety of sensors can be used in monitoring fluid properties. For example, a conductivity sensor can be used to measure the impedance or conductivity of a fluid, and a tuning fork sensor is able to detect changes in fluid density. However these sensors normally are point sensors, i.e., only fluid properties in a local area can be measured. As a result, it is difficult to detect a simple tampering to a fluid, e.g., disposing the sensor into a jar filled with a normal fluid and delivering a different fluid instead.
In the fluid level and fluid quality sensing, sometimes the rationality of the sensors needs also to be monitored to avoid false detections. Rationality errors of a sensor are in-range errors with which a sensing value obtained from the sensor is still within a normal sensing range, however, it is out of an error tolerance. Normally indirect methods are used in monitoring the rationality. For example, in a DEF delivery system of a SCR apparatus, a change in fluid level can be calculated using the amount of DEF being released if there is no refill or drain. Thereby, rationality of the fluid level sensor can be examined by comparing the calculated fluid level value to the sensing value. In the SCR apparatus, quality issues can be detected by using the deNOx efficiency of the apparatus, i.e., when a low deNOx efficiency is detected, a possible cause is diluted DEF. And these fluid quality issues can be further compared to the results obtained from the fluid quality sensor to verify its rationality. However, in the indirect methods, a few factors may significantly affect the diagnosis. For example, in the diagnostic methods mentioned above, slosh in DEF fluid and dosing accuracy may significantly affect the diagnosis of the fluid level sensor rationality, and the fluid quality sensor rationality is subject to the effects of DEF dosing accuracy, NOx sensor accuracy, and control algorithms used in the SCR apparatus. These effects may cause a false passing or a false alarm.
For overcoming the problems associated with the fluid quality sensing and sensor rationality diagnosis, it is then an objective of the present invention to provide a multifunctional sensing device that is able to detect both of quality level and fluid quality in a bulk fluid. The detection of fluid quality in the bulk fluid makes it difficult to tamper the fluid. A further objective of the present invention is to provide a sensing device that not only can detect fluid level and fluid quality, but is also able to detect rationality issues in the sensing device itself. Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a fluid level and quality sensing device that is able to detect failures in a fluid delivery system in which the fluid level and quality sensing device is positioned. Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a diagnostic method that is able to isolate issues in fluid quality, sensors, and the fluid delivery system.